Window closing attachment



y 1948. H. A. STUKES WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 10, 1944 2Sheets-Sheet 1 May 11, 1948. H. A. STUKES 2,441,230

WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENT Filed Oct. 10, 1944 2 Sheefs-SheeiZ tion, andwhich will be Patented May 11, 1948 2,441,230 WINDOW CLOSING ATTACHMENTHorace A. Stukcs, San An direct and mesne assi San Antonio, Tex.

tonic, Tex., assignor, by gnments, to J J. Lawson,

Application October 10, 1944, Serial No. 558,094

This invention relates to a window attachment. An object of theinvention is to provide a device of the character described speciallydesigned to hold a window sash elevated, or in open posiautomaticallyreleased, in case of rain, to allow the sash to close by gravity.

A preferred form of the device includes a rod gripping member adapted togrip a sash-supporting rod and which is maintained in gripping relationwith the rod by the pressure of an element which will disintegrate whensubjected to Water and thus release the rod gripping member to allow thesame to expand and release the sash-supporting rod so that the sash willdescend to closed position.

In another form of the invention the sashsupporting rod may be grippedand held by gripping jaws so as to support the sash in upper, or openposition and in this form of the invention mechanical means are providedfor positively expending, or releasing, said jaws said mechanical deviceincluding a spherical weight with means for holding the weightinoperative but which is releasable by the action of the water, in caseof rain, to permit the weight to become operative, toactuate themechanical means to release the Jaws.

With the above and other objects in View the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features of construction, operation andarrangement of parts, examples of which are given in this specificationand illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein:

V Figure 1 shows a front elevational view of one form of the inventionshowing the enclosing housing in section.

Figure 2 shows a plan view thereof, partly in section.

Figure 3 show a sectional view taken on the line 3'--3of Figure 2.

Figure 4 shows a sectional View taken on the line 4-'-4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 shows a vertical, sectional view taken on theline 5-5 of Figure1.

Figure 6 shows a view similar to that of Figure 5 showing the otherembodiment of the invention.

' Figure 7 shows a horizontal, sectional view of the form of theinvention shown inFigure 6; and

Figure 8 shows a vertical, sectional view thereof.

, Referring now more particularly to the drawings wherein like numeralsof reference designate the same parts in each of the figures, thenumeral I designates the window casing as a'whoie where- 7 Claims. (01.268-423) in there is mounted the vertically slidable sash 2. There is asash-supporting rod 3 which is vertically slidable through an opening 4in the bottom ledge 5 of the window casing. The upper end of this rod isinwardly turned and formed with the ball 6 thereon. Attached to thelower portion of the window sash on the outside there is a box likeretainer 1 whose front face has a transverse slot 8 through which theturned end of the rod 3 fits closely. The rod is thus attached to thesash so that it may adjust itself laterally to perfectly align with theopening 4 through which it works.

Securely fastened to the ledge 5 over the opening 4 there is anenclosing casing 9 having an outwardly extended tubular bearing 10.

Within the casing 9 there are the opposed grip ping jaws H, H which arefastened together, at their inner side, by the flexible plate l2attached thereto. Their facing sides have registering vertical groovesforming a vertical bearing [3 through which the rod 3 slides. Thenumeral l4 designates a tension rod which is fitted trans.- verselythrough the jaws II, II. Its inner end has a swivelling connection withone jaw and it extends through the other jaw and on its other end thereis screwed a nut l5. Between this nut and said last mentioned jaw,surrounding the rod Hi, there is a pressure spring l6 which serves tohold said jaws in gripping relation with the rod 3 and the tension onthis spring may be regulated by the nut Hi.

There is a u-shaped frame having side members I1, I! forming 'a track.Fixed to one of said side members and depending therefrom there is ashaft I8 which extends through the bearing l0. It has an annularexternal keyway IS in which the retaining key 20 projects to prevent itsdetachment from the bearing. Its inner end is flattened at 21 andprojects into the space between the jaws ll so that as the shaft I8 isturned said jaws will be forced apart and thus released from the rod 13.Secured to the opposite ends of the tracks l1, and depending therefrom,there is a container 22 forming a heat chamber and mounted to move alongsaid tracks there is a spherical weight 23. This weight is retained inplace on the tracks by the inverted U-shaped retainer rod 24 which isfastened, at one end, to the U-shaped frame remote from the floatchamber and at its other end to a cross bar 25 connecting said tracks.

Normally the weight 23 will be at the end of the frame remote from thefloat chamber, as shown in Figures 1 and land this will hold theopposite end of the frame, and the float chamber, elevated as shown inFigure 1.

There is a latch 28 which is pivoted on the bearing rod 21 between thetracks 11. One end of this latch engages the spherical weight 23 to holdit in inoperative position, that is in the position shown in Figure l.The other end of this latch is of arcuate shape and is attached to afloat 28 located inthe float chamber.

The operative mechanism hereinabove described is enclosed within housing29 which is f fastened to the ledge 5 of the window casing on a theoutside of the sash. Its upper side is formed into a shallow hopperprovided to catch a quantity of water in case of rain and this hopperhas a discharge opening 3| over the float chamber.

With the window sash held in open position,

as shown in Figure 1, and with the float chamber in its elevatedposition and with the weight 23 at the opposite end of the tracks, asshown in Figure 1, and heldin that position bythe latch 26 the sash willbe securely held in said upper, or open position In case of rain aquantity of water will be collected in the hopper, 30 and deliveredthrough the opening 3| into the float chamber. Eventually the weight ofwater in the chamber will cause said chamber and thefree ends of thetracks I! to move downwardly. The float 28 will relatively moveupwardlythus releasing the latch fromthe spherical weight 23 and thisweight will travel along thetracks toward the float chamber and willmove the free ends of the tracks on downwardly thus-turning the shaft I8with sufiicient force to-cause the flattened end 2| thereof 'to forcethe jaws ll apart and to release the rod 3 whereupon the sash 2 willmove downwardly to closed position by gravity. a V a v The bottom of thefloat chamber has an opening 32 which is normally closed by an upwardlyopening valve 33. This valve has e. depending stem34 which has anenlarged'he'ad '35.. When the float chamber approaches the limit of? itsdownward movement the head 35will engage the upper face of the ledgeBand will open the valve 33 to permit the water to drain out of thefloat chamber. A coil spring 36 surrounds the stem 34 and is interposedbetween the head as and the bottom of the fl'oat chamber and assists inholding thevalve 33 closed. 7 One of the tracks i! has an inw'ardlyextended grip member 31 which works through a vertical slot 38 in thehousing 29 so that itwill be accessible from the inside of the room. Bythe use of this grip member thefree ends of the tracks may be elevatedso that. the spherical weight .23 will roll back to its originalposition and when it passes the end of the latchfft the weight of thefloat on the other end of the latch will cause said latch to reengagethe weight and hold it in inoperative position as shown in Figures land2 However, the device should not be reset for operation ,until the sashhas been elevated. V In the form shown in Figures 6; to 8,-inclusive,there is a housing'38 fastened on the upper face of the window ledge andlocated within it there is a cylindrical gripping element 39. Thisgripping element is transverselyslitted from end to end forming the gripjaws Ha, Ila Whose facing sides have the registering vertical groovesforming a bearing l3a through which the rod 3 extends. y 1 I There is arectangular frame composed of the side members 39a,,39a connected by theend bars 40, 40a. The bar 40 is seated ina transverse slot 4! of thehousing38 and in aligned keyway in the 4 gripping element 39, as shownin Figures '7 and 8, so as to hold said element against turning.

Threaded through the bar 40a there is a plug 42 whose inner end istubular to receive a coil spring 43. Opposite the plug 42 the housing 38has an opening 44.

There is a rod 45 one end of which may be inserted into the plug 42 tocompress the spring 43 and the other end thereof then inserted throughthe opening 44 against the opposing jaw I la. The spring 43 will holdthe rod 45 against the gripping element 39 under pressure. The pressureso exerted' will be at right angles to the slit through the grippingelement 39 and will be sufficient to cause the jaws I la, I la to gripthe rod 3 and hold the sash elevated.'

The rod 45 is formed of a suitable material which will disintegrate inthe presence of water so that in case of rain this rod will quicklydisintegrate relieving the friction member 39 from the pressure of thespring 43 and said friction member is formed to slightly expand whenrelieved of said pressure so that thereupon the rod 3 will be releasedand the sash 2 will descend by gravity to closed position.

The bridge connecting the jaws I lo, I la is flexible and the bearingl3a is slightly larger in diameter than the rod 3 so that the rod willmove freely through the gripping element 39 until pressure is applied tothe jaws by the rod 45 as above explained.

' The attachment is particularly useful for causing open windows toclose in case of rain when there is no attendant to close them. a

What I claim is: V

l. A window attachment comprising, gripping jaws, a rod connected to awindow sash and movable between the jaws, means for causing the jaws togrip the rod to prevent movement'of the sash and means including a trackoperatively con nected withv the jaws and a gravity actuated weightmovable along the track to actuate the track to spread the jaws torelease them from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

2. An attachment for windows comprising, a casing having a lateralbearing, confronting gripping jaws in the casing, a rod attached to awindow sash and extending between the jaws,'me'ans for causing the jawsto grip and hold the rod against movement, a frame forming tracks, anaxle secured to the frame and extended through said bearing whereby theframe is pivoted at one end, a container having a float chamber securedto the other end of the frame, a weight on the frame, a latch pivoted onthe frame one end of which is engaged against the weight to hold itatthe pivoted end of the frame, a float in the float chamber to which theother end of the. latch is secured, said latch being releasable fromitheweight upon elevation of the float by water in the float chamber toallow the weight to move along the track to depress the free end thereofand rotate said shaft and means on the shaft for spreading the jaws,upon said rotation of the shaft, to release the rod and permit the rodand sash to descend. Y

3. An attachment for windows comprising, a casing having a lateralbearing, gripping" means in the casing, a rod attached to a window sashand extending through the gripping means, means for causing the grippingmeans to grip and hold the rod against movement, a frame forming traeks,an aale securedto the frame and extended through said bearing wherebythe frame is pivoted atone end, a container having afloat chain:-

her secured to the other end of the frame, a weight on the frame, alatch pivoted on the frame one end of which is engaged against theweight to holdit at the pivoted end of the frame, a float in' the floatchamber to which the other end of the latch is secured, said latch beingreleasable from the weight upon elevation of the float by water in thefloat chamber to allow the weight to move along the track to depress thefree end thereof and rotate said shaft for expanding the gripping meansupon said rotation of the shaft, to release the rod and permit the rodand sash to descend.

4. An attachment for windows comprising, rod gripping means, a rodattached to the window sash and arranged to be gripped by said grippingmeans, a frame forming a track and mounted to pivot at one end, acontainer having a float chamber carried by the other end of the track,a weight on the frame, a latch pivoted on the frame one end of whichengages the weight to hold it at the pivoted end of the frame, a floatin the float chamber to which the other end of the latch is connected,said latch being releasable from the weight upon elevation of the floatb water in said chamber to allow the weight to move along the track torotate the frame, and operative connections between the frame andgripping means effective to release the latter from the rod to allow therod and sash to descend by gravity.

5. A window attachment comprising, gripping jaws, a rod connected to awindow sash and movable between the jaws, means for causing the jaws togrip the rod to prevent movement of the sash and means operativelyconnected with the jaws and including a track operatively connected withthe jaws and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track toactuate the track to release the jaws from the rod to allow the rod andsash to descend.

6. A window attachment comprising, rod gripping means, a rod connectedto a window sash and movable through said gripping means, means forcausing the gripping means to grip the rod to prevent downward movementof the sash and means including a track in operative connection with thegripping means and a gravity actuated weight movable along the track toactuate the track to effect release of the gripping means from the rodto allow the rod and sash to descend.

7. A window attachment comprising, rod gripping means, a rod connectedto a window sash and movable through the gripping means, means forcausing the gripping means to grip the rod toprevent downward movementof the sash, means in operative relation with the gripping means andincluding a pivotally mounted track and a gravity actuated weightmovable along the track to actuate the track to effect release of thegripping means from the rod to allow the rod and sash to descend.

HORACE A. STUKES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 431,963 Buehler July 8, 1890567,193 Nash Sept. 8, 1896 1,124,969 Stockwell Jan. 12, 1915 1,306,702Liston June 1'7, 1919 2,185,646 Noland et al Jan. 2, 1940 2,321,591Gardner June 15, 1943

